An armed force linked to Libya's incumbent prime minister seized two ministers of the rival government that was to be sworn into office on Thursday, two sources close to the designated new Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha said.

Bashagha said late on Wednesday that the incumbent prime minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah in the capital Tripoli had also closed off Libyan airspace to stop new ministers from flying to Tobruk to take the oath of office.